- Title: Nepal's ex-guerrilla chief sworn in as prime minister for third time
- Date: 26th December 2022
- Summary: OFFICIALS DURING CEREMONY NEPAL ARMY PERSONNEL DURING THE CEREMONY BHANDARI AND DAHAL SPEAKING DURING THE CEREMONY SWEARING DAHAL IN AS PRIME MINISTER AUDIENCE, INCLUDING AMBASSADORS AND DIPLOMATS, WATCHING THE CEREMONY DAHAL DURING THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY AUDIENCE WATCHING CEREMONY DAHAL SIGNING THE DOCUMENT DURING THE CEREMONY VARIOUS OF NEPALESE GUARD OF HONOUR MARCHING DURING THE CEREMONY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CONGRATULATING DAHAL ON BECOMING PRIME MINISTER DAHAL LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF NEPALESE PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE
- Embargoed: 9th January 2023 14:14
- Keywords: Hindu monarchy Kathmandu Maoist Centre Moaist guerilla Nepal Nepali Congress party Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal Unified Marxist-Leninist party election hung parliament parliament prime minister
- Location: KATHMANDU, NEPAL
- City: KATHMANDU, NEPAL
- Country: Nepal
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA003889726122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A former Maoist guerrilla who led a decade-long insurgency against Nepal's Hindu monarchy was sworn in on Monday (December 26) as prime minister for the third time.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda - meaning "terrible" or "fierce" – will head the new government for the first half of the five-year term with the support of the opposition Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and some other smaller groups, party officials said.
Last month’s election had returned a hung parliament.
Prachanda, who replaces Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party, will step down in 2025, making way for the UML to take over the office, local media reported.
The new coalition came to power after Prachanda, 68, surprisingly walked out of the ruling alliance led by Deuba of the Nepali Congress party. Deuba refused to back Prachanda for the prime minister's job.
Deuba and Prachanda had both campaigned in the November election pledging to keep the old alliance intact for several years.
Prachanda's Maoist Centre party won 32 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. The UML has 78 seats, and the rest, required for the 138-majority, will be controlled by smaller groups.
The Nepali Congress party will be the main opposition controlling 89 seats.
Analysts said Prachanda was unlikely to provide the country with stability due to many coalition partners. He also faces serious economic challenges.
Inflation is more than 8%, the highest in six years. Nepal, tucked between China and India, also faces dwindling foreign exchange reserves, with an increasing dependence on imports of basic goods.
Nepal has seen 10 government changes since 2008 when the 239-year-old monarchy was abolished.
(Production: Yubaraj Sharma, Liliana Ciobanu) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None